One of the most well-known and liked Israeli writers, the master of the short form, scriptwriter and lecturer – Etgar Keret – is the guest of the 58th Krakow Film Festival! Within the frames of the section “World Stories, ” a documentary film about the writer will be shown, and both the film-makers and the protagonist confirmed their participation in the festival.

Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story

“Etgar Keret: Based on a True Story” is an unconventional biography, created in the spirit of Keret’s works by the Dutch duet: the director Stephane Kaas and the scriptwriter Rutger Lemm. Fascinated by the writing of the Israeli author, they decided to shoot a film in which they explore the phenomenon of his fascinating short stories. As a result, on the screen family histories are intertwined with anecdotes told by friends, and the documentary smoothly turns into fiction, seriousness into absurdity, and Keret himself enacts the story of his own life in his unrepeatable style.

“Which place could be better for the premiere of this crazy film than Krakow? Why, Keret is the master of the short story and the scriptwriter of many short films. We would like to have him longer at the festival, but he will drop in only for a moment, because he is preparing another film project, this time in Paris. I am sure that the screening of the film in his presence will be the achievement of the up-coming edition,” emphasises Krzysztof Gierat.

Etgar Keret– was born in 1967 in Ramat Gan, in the family of Polish Jews who were saved from the Holocaust. In 2016, he was granted Polish citizenship. He made his debut in 1990s with the short story collection “Pipelines.” His subsequent books turned into bestsellers in Israel and were translated into many other languages, gaining recognition all around the world. His best-known short story collections include, among others, “Kneller’s Summer Camp,” “Eight Percent of Nothing,” “Pipeliness,” “Missing Kissinger.” Keret is also the co-author of graphic novels, a satirical television show and a musical; together with his wife Shira Geffen, they directed the film “Jellyfish” (2007), awarded the Camera d’Or prize in Cannes.

In 2012 in Warsaw, within the frames of an art installation and as a reference to the writer’s Polish roots, Keret’s House was established, which is considered the narrowest house in the world. It was designed by the architect Jakub Szczęsny, and Keret himself participated in the official opening ceremony of the building.